Combination action for pipe-organs



Oct. 17, 1933. H. H. GORDON 1,930,613

COMBINATION ACTION FOR PIPE OHGANS Filed April 6. 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet, l

J 1 Gordon,

Oct. 17, 1933. H, GORDON 1,930,613

COMBINATION ACTION FOR PIPE ORGANS Filed April 6, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 17, 1933 2 UNITED, STATES PATENT =.0i i E,;

' i l I 1,930,613 i I COMBlNATION ACTION F01! PIB BG N 1 Hayner HQGordon', Washingto D- C- t A plicationAprll 6,1932; SerlalNo. 603, 29 1* t 10 Claims.- (l. 84-"-345) I The invention relates more particularly to adjustable combination actions for pipe organs employing electro pneumaticforelectric systems of control between the console and the organ pipes 1 '5 of the type in which certain stop controls and coupler controls may be selected. by the organist to give any desired tonal characteristic and lthe group of controlsso selected placed under the control of asi'ngle push button'or device'so'that the particular tonal characteristic may be produced by the manipulation'cf a single control,

"It is anobject ofthe presentinvention to provide a simple form of adjustable combination 7 action, [whichmay be easily manufactured ata minimum cost. 1 i

It is afurther object of the present invention to combine a combination action, and unit switch action intoa unitary construction thereby reducing the number of parts and structural details. Certain embodiments of my invention are illustrated -inthe accompanying drawings Fig. 1 shows'in diagrammatical form the electrio circuits and-mechanical structure of an embodiment.

Fig. 2 is afront elevational view of anembodi-r ment comprising acombined switch and combination action of thesliding-bar type.

Figs. 3 and 4 show the front and rear views or, a modificationembodying the roller top of switch; v

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figs.'3'

i ,Eig. 6 is 'a'partial section along sectionline As shown in Fig. l, thestop'action comprises a series of vertical movable "slide'bars 1-'1-'-1 "each" carrying the usual set of 61 contact pins 2 pins 3. .When the barsor slides l are raised by a pneumatic motor sl-the movable contact pins 2 cooperate with the fixed contact pins 3 to close circuits fromthe keys or relays to a chest or those, skilled in thef'art;

pressing the rear projecting end 7a of theoverthe-center spring into contact with the mg q which cooperate with the set of fixed contact coupler action in a manner well understood by.

tact I'thuscauSing current flow from the generator} through the frame 22 of the stop, action tocontact 7 and through circuit 6 tomagnet 5 operating pneumatic motor, 4, to raiseYslide 1b. These combinationslides are mounted for a Q sliding or axial movement in aframe not shown in order to simplify the drawings. This sliding movement at 90 to the movement of-the v'erticalbars or slide members 1a and 1b.; I As illustrated, the combination slides a to the right by a series of springs such as is indicated by, reference numeral 18. 4 Theyare actu ated toward the'left bya series of pneumatic ag tors under the control of setter buttons or piston; only one pneumatic motor13 and its corresponding controlling piston or button locbeing illustrated for the purpose of clarity. r I The pneumatic motor 13wh'ch has its lower ,portion' movable is controlled in the usual manner by a conventional action box 13a having the usual magnet,15. w ,1 Pneumatic motor 13 wheniactuated pulls down on the left handend of the bell crank 14. mounted on a fixed pivot at, 14a; The vertical portion of the tension "of spring; 18. This action occurs when setter button or piston 16 is pressed and causesmagnet 15to become energized, The other combination bars 12 and12a are similarly capable of a sliding movem'entto the left under control of the'pneumaticmotors and combination setterbuttons similar. to the one shown connected to the slide bar 12b; Each of-the horizontalslide bars, or combination of bars, carry "a serie'sfof resilient contact wires or members 17a,]1 'lb, 17c,

each one of these adapted tocooperate with a I pair of hooked contacts carried by thevertical slidebar. aThese resilient contact members l'la,

17b, 170 are so mounted at such a positionon the combination bars so that when the same arefin normal position to the right which is maintained by tensionsprings such as shown atlB, they are engagedby one of the pair of cooperating hooked contacts to suchan extent that they are somee biased 75 1 what flexed or biased and, therefore, tend to remain in an electrical contacting relationship with the particular hooked contact member irrespec tive of the vertical movement to oil? or on position of the vertical slide bar which carries the hooked contact members. More specifically, as shown in the drawings, the resilient contact 17a is shown in an engagement with the upper contact hook 100. of vertical slider 1a, and resilient :contact 17?) is in a resilient engagement with the lower hook contact 11b of thevertical slide member.1b,. and

they will remain in this engagement irrespective a combination setter-button such as 16 in the manner illustrated as the pneumatic motor 13 illustrated'connect with the bar 1217, such'movesment' will free the resilient contacts 17a, 17b-and combination slide bar underitscontrol again assumes its normal position" to the rightcausing the series of resilient contact members carried r ries the hooked contacts.

thereby to engage the particular series of hooked contacts which are at-that time in a favorable position forsuchan engagement. This position of the hooked" contacts will be controlled by the position of thevertical slide memb'enwhich car For instance, if itis assumed thevertical slide member 1a is raised and the stop controlled thereby is in on? position and the combination setter-button which actuates thecombination slide bartotherleft is momentarily pressed; the flexible contact 17a will be carried out; of engagement with the hooked contact 10a,a nd when thecombinationslide 12 again moves to its-normal' position to'the right, theiiexible contact 17a will then become engaged with. the, lower hooked contact member 11b of thispah' where it will remain irrespective of the subsequent movements of the stop slide bar is.

As illustrated in connection with the stop slide member la, all of the upper hook contacts are connected in parallel to acommon lead or conductor 19 which is connected to the oil-magnet 20 of the stop cont-roldevice on the console. Similarlyithebottom hook contact members are all connectedin parallel by the circuit 21 to the onmagnet 22 or the stop action which controls the slide 1a All of the flexible contacts carried on any one of the horizontal combination slidemembers, are connected for simultaneous energization by a relay, one relay being provided ,for each of the combination slide members as s own by the flexible members 17a, 17b, 170 which are'connected through conductors 23, 24, and 25,

to relay contacts which are simultaneously closed the stop contact 7 and thereby causing the stop Slide member 1a to move to the off-position due to the open circuit through conductor 6 and the consequent ceasing of operation of the pneumatic motor s. In a similar manner all stop slide bars which have their upper hooks engaged by the resilient contact members carried on the combination bar 12 and which are energized by coinbination button 27, will be returned to the onposition, if they are on, while any stop slide bars which have their lower contacts engaged will be automatically moved to the on-position.

While the stop control device 3 is illustrated with a direct electrical action for moving it to on-or-ofi-position, it is to be understood that the of any vertical movement of the slider bars 1a and 1b as long as the combination ;bar;. 12, which. carries resilient contact numbers 17a and 17b, remains in the position shown in which-it is? biased to the right by means of the spring menn. ber 18. If, however, any of the combination bars 12a or 12b are moved to the left by actuation of same result would be accomplished where electropneumatic action. is used for this purpose.

In summation it may be stated that the manipulationiof any combination setterbutton such as 16 which produces a releasing oi the resilient contact members carried by a corresponding horizontal=combination slide member and their reengagement to a new series of hooked contact members dependent upon the positioning of the verticalastop slide members existent at that time, wilLinzfact capture the stop combination or tonal characteristics on at that time, and such combination of tonal characteristics may at any subsequent time be reproduced by an actuation of the relay. under control of a combination button functioningto simultaneously energize the entire set of.- ficxible or resilient contactscarried by that particular combination 'slide member.

While the system just described as illustrated in Fig. l, affects all of the stop slide members throughla medium of a single relay actuated by a combination piston the same may be modified to use a double touch piston, or two pistons, to actuate two. relays one of which will cause energizing of one of hook contacts and the other relay causing energization of the second set of hooked contacts, both of the relays being connected to flexible contacts maintained on the same combination slide member. By such modification a combination of stops or tonal characteristics including pedal stops and couplers may be captured or engaged, and by the initial manipulation of the combination piston only the normal stops will be aflected, or on further depression 01' the piston the second relay connected thereto will be energized and the pedal stops or couplers will be affected.

While the structure diagrammatically shown in Fig. 1, described above, is of the type in which the stop-action and combination-action are combined and the stop slider bars'possess the dual function of operating the stop-switch mechanism and the combination setting mechanism, it should be understood that the present invention can be used, irrespective of such combined or dual function. In this latter case the vertical sliding bars shown in Fig. 1, will merely carry the hook contact members alone, and in such modification these bars would be operative by electro-pneumatic means or could be located in the console and be mechanically operated from the stop tablets or knobs themselves. As a matter of fact the present invention could be utilized in a console in which slider bars la, 1b, 1c, of Fig. 1 are mechanically connected and moved by stop knobs or tilting tablets or their equivalent, and the combination slides 12a and 12b of Fig. 1, could be mcchanicallyconnected to the pistons and operated thereby.

Fig. 2 illustrates in greater detail the structural arrangement or location of parts of a combinedstop and combination action, such as has been diagrammatically shown in Fig. 1. In this embodiment a fixed rectangular frame islconstructed of suitablesize tobe placed in the organ chamber, this frame comprising top and bottom members 30 and'31' and side members 132- and 33. An inner rectangular frame member 34 is.

, mounted within the outer iramemember by meansjof a hinge3 1 This inner frame mem ber carries the series of vertical slidingrod members la, lb andlc describedindetail' in'connection with the diagrammatical Fig. 1,- these rods carrying =the1movable contact members of the stop or coupler switches'which cooperate with the f-flxed contacts 3 adjacentthereto when the" slide bars are lifted or'elevated by the pneu i of the fixed frame member and locateddirectly maticmotors 4 carried on the lower member under each slide bar. The inner frame 34 also carries the horizontal combination setting bars 12, 12a, 121 et cetera, these being located atthe top of the frame and having a sliding move ment which is transverse to the movement of j k the stop slide barsi The combination setter-bars 12; 12a, 12b'are operated by pneumatics-13 carried by "the side member 32;ofthe outer fixed frame. It must be seen that when the inner 'frarneis in thposition shownin Fig.-2,fboth the horizontal 'a nd verticalmovable slidebars' are in, operative relationship with the pneumatic motors which controlthem. By unloosening thej fastening means 36,- 36, whichholds the vinner frame in this position the same may be" swung open on the hinge 35 so that convenient! access may-behad tothe entire mechanism of the swinging frame as well asto other-mecha nism such as the co ntrol' chest for the pneumatic 'motors, relays, et cetera, that are'mounted on the inside of the fixed frame and behind themovable frame, thisarrangement of parts, therefore, making a simplefcompact and accessibleconstruction. The vertical slide members 1a, lb, 10,, et cetera, carry at their' upper-ends the hooked contact members which cooperate with theresilient contactmembers carried on'the horizontal combination -sliderbars in the manner previously described in connection with Fig. 1.

Figs. 3, 4 5, and fi illustrate the invention as appliedto a roller type of switch construction [instead of the sliding bar type. In the front elevation of view Fig. 3 three rocking-'bars' io, 41 and 42 are shown operated by their respec- .tive pneumatic motors 43, 44 and 45. These rocking bars each carry the usual 61 movable contacts which cooperate with contact strips rocker bars 40;41'and42 has projectingfrom its carried onv aboard 4J7 upon whichthe' rocking ba'rs are mounted. For. simplification of the drawings but three sets of'these contacts are illustrated as shown by the reference character i 46. At the right hand end of the devicesh'own iii-Fig. 3,;the supporting -boardj47 fis {provided with three slots 48, 49"an'd 50;, Eachfof the rear resilient contactmembers 51a, 51b and 51b which pass through the slots asshownpin the sectional illustration Fig. 5 whi'ch is: taken on horizontal rear contact strips such as 5211. When i any ofthe rocker bars '40, '41 or 42 however are actuated by their respective pneumatic motors of disclosure.

catamaran aimatmaiatatn would result in a. counter-clockwise rotation of these bars; as shown. in Fig.. 5,fthe resilient contact 1 members will be biased and tend to contact with thejlower horizontal contachwires; on the rear of the supporting board 47; these resilient contact members 51a, x51b,u51c are however normally' prevented from. yielding to such bias by.

virtue of a series of rollers53a,g5 3b, 53c which holdthe resilient contact members in contactual relationship .with. the horizontal .contact bars Theseseriesyof rollers aremountedon'a vertical or rotative member 54, ,a, similar rotative memher being provided tozthe'rear of and'adjacent eachofptheslots 48, -49,;and- 50as shown in Fig. 6.1 JThBSNGI'liical rollers-are; operated by ,pneu-. maticmotorssuch'as 55 shown in F'ig.- 4, which areconnected to rotate them througha rather large angle .to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 61) :By. reference-to Fig. 6, it will be; noted that when the rockingjroller 53a is rotated to the dotted line position, the resilientcontact member 511) will then. be. freeandlcapable of assumingvoontact relationship; with eitherthe upper or lower rear contact wire dependent upon which way it is at that time biasedyby the positionof the-rocking switch member 40. It will thereforebegevident that a momentaryactua tion'ofvone of the vertical rotatable. members-54. will act. tovlrelease all of; the resilient contact members which project 'througha slotadjacent 7 that particular roller permitting them to assume the'positions to which they arejbiased at that time. and thenusubsequently capturing them in this position whenthe; rollers 53a, 53bfand 53c areyreturned to their normal locking position. AsshowninFig. 4. each set of: horizontal rear contactuwiresorbars are connected to the onand-ofi-magnets of the. particularstopcontrol devicefwhich controls the stopicontrol member located in" front of the horizontal contact wires.

The electrical operationis the same as that which is shown ini detail in Fig. 1, all 7 they flexible contact elements. which project through 1 any given slot 'being connected. for simultaneous; en: .ergizationby meansof'la relay and associated combination piston. .When such QOInbination piston is pressed and the associated group of 'flexible contact elementsenergized, current will[ be fed to the5"on-and-ofi,-magnets of the stop controldevices dependent upon the positions in which the. flexible: contact elements have been captured by thef capture rollers. Asthis,l of course,- if ,dependent upon the, positionto which the resilient contact elements werebiasedupre- *vious to theirfcapture; this .ystructure thereby permitsithe organist to select adesired groupof stops, capture them or set them as a combination by means of pneum'atics such as 55 which are [controlled by combination-setting pistons, I and subsequently produce the tonal combination called for by thisgroup ofqstops by pressing the correspondingcombinationpiston.' w

" g-Itis'to .be understood that the present invention contemplates other: modifications and emselected for the; purpose bodiments than those 1. A combination action for pipe-organs ineluding in combination 'azpluralityof stop-control deviceseach capable of either direct manual "or electrically actuated movement to on or off positions, a plurality of-switch bar elements op-' "eratively associated with and corresponding in number to said stop-control devices, each mov- Us f able under control of its associated stop-control device to an en -position or-an elf-position, a

two-way-switch operatively associated with each.

of said switch bar elements and comprising a resilient contact adapted for cooperation with.

magnets for electrically actuating the stop-cons trol device, associated with the particularswitch bar element having said contacts: associated therewith and manually operated means for ,el'ec-. trically energizing said resilient contactxtoiactul-l ate said stop-control device to the on? or! sit 1'.

position dependent upon which contact is err-'- gaged by said resilient contact 5.1:..23. 2. A combination action for pipe-organs including in combination a plurality of stop-control devices each capable of either direct manual'or. electrically actuated movement to on or:.oflf1po-- sitions, a plurality oi-switch bar elementswperatively associated withand corresponding in number to said stop-control devices, :each moviable-under control of its associated stop-control device to an on-position or'an oiI-positiomia plurality of movable switch contacts mounted thereon and cooperating with a set of-fixed contacts to control a set ofpipes or coupleroircuits, a two-way switch also associated with each of said switch bar elements and comprisingwa resilient contact adapted for cooperation with an off contact or an on contactadependq ent upon the position. of the'switch bar, locking means for holding said resilient contact in electrical relationship with either said oflf or on contact notwithstanding any bias that it may have toward the other contact, manually operated means for. temporarily releasingsaid locking means, a pair of electrical. circuits-com meeting said off and on contacts to a pair of-electro-magnets for electrically actuating the stop-control device, associated with the particular switch bar element having said contacts associated therewith and manually operated means i for electricallyenergizing .said resilient contact to actuate said stop-control device to the on or off position dependent upon which contac is engaged by said resilient contact;

3. A combination action for pipe-organs including in combination a plurality of. stop-control devices each capable of-either directmanual or electrically'actuated movement to on or off positions, a pluralityoi parallel mounted switch bar elements operatively associated with and corresponding in number to said stop-control devices," each axially movable under control of its associated stop-control deviceto an on-position or an off-position, a two-way switch associated witheach of'said switch bar elements and comprising a resilient contact mounted. on a bar transversely movable with respect to said switch bar elements and adapted for a biasing cooperation with an off contact or an? on contact, carried upon and dependent upon the position of the switch bar, locking means for holding said resilient contact in electrical relationship with either said off or on contact notwithstanding any bias that it may have toward the other contact, manually operated meansfor' temporarilfactuating said bar to release said locking means, a pair ofelectrical circuits connecting said off '1 and f on contacts to a pair of electromagnets for electrically actuating thestop-control device, associated with the switch bar element having said contacts associated therewith and manually operated means for. electrically energizing said resilient contact to actuate said stop-control device to the on or off positiondependent upon which contact is engaged by said resilient contact.

4. A combination action for pipe-organs including in combination a stop-control device ca-, pableof either direct manual or electrically actuated movement to on or off positions, a switch, barelement axially movable to an on-position or an.-eff-;position under the control of the said stop control device, a pair of contact members fixedly carried. onsaid switch bar element and movable therewith,;-said contact members comprising an .oiIF; contact member and an on contact rnem berieach-plectrically connected to elastic-mags nets for actuating the stop-control device .sespec tivelv to itsgoff and on positions, a second axially movable; bar. element mounted for, transverse movement with respect to said first mentioned banelement, a resilient contact member carried thcreby landvfree to make contact with either of. said f ofiior ,on contacts when said second men tionedban ,element is in one position, looking to hold'said resilient contact member in flxedrelationship with said off and on contacts Whenv saidseeond mentioned bar element is in a second ,-p. Sition, manually operated means for controlling the position of said second mentioned. barelement-and manually operatedmeans for electrically-energizing said resilient contact to actuategsaid stop control device to the fon" or' ofl'-:.-position dependent upon which contact is engaged 1 by .the resilient contact member.

#5. A; combination action for pipe-organs in cluding in combination a stop-control device capable of either direct manualor electricallyactw, ated-movement toon or off positions,.a switch bar elemontaxially movableto an on-position or an oiT-positionunder the control of the saidstopcontrol device, a pair of, contact pins having looking hooks fixedlycarried on saidswitch bar, element and movable therewith, saidcontact pins comprising an off contact member and an on contact member each electrically .connected to electro-magnets for actuating the stop-control device to its off and on positions, a second axially movable bar element mounted for transverse movement with respect to said first mentioned bar element, a selective contact; member. carried thereby and normallybiased into engagement with one of said locking hooks when said second mentioned bar element is in one position, and released therefrom. when said bar element is in a second position, manually operated'means for controlling the position of said second mentioned bar element, and manually operated means for electrically energizing said selective contact to actuate said stop-control device to the on or off position dependent=upon whichcontact is engaged by the selective contact member.

6. A combination action for. pipe-organs including in combination a stop-control device capable of either direct manual or electrically actuated movement to on or off positions, a switch bar element axially movable to an on-position or-an oif-position under the control of the said stopcontrol device, a pair of contact pins having looking hooks fixedly carried on said switchbar element and movable therewith, said contact pins comprising an ofi contact member and an on contact/member each electrically connected to electro-magnets for actuatingthe stop-control device to its off and on positions, a second axially movable bar element mounted for transverse movement with respect to said first mentioned bar element, a resilient contact membercarried thereby and normally biased into engagement,

with one of said locking hooks when said second mentioned bar element is in one position, and released therefrom when said bar element is-ina second position, manually operated means for controlling the position of said second mentioned bar element, and manually operatedmeans for I electrically energizing said resilient contact to actuate said stop-control device tothe on or off position dependent upon which contact is engagedby the resilient member.

7. An electrical switch mechanism for use pipe-organ combination systems, comprising a switch bar mechanism axially movabletoeither of two predeterminedpositions, apair of contacts having converging hook-shaped extremities carried thereby, a second switchxbar positioned at right angles to said first mentioned switch bar mechanism and axially movable from a normal position to an abnormal'position, a resilient contact member sopositioned thereon that when said second switch baris' in normal position, said resilient contact member is biased into continuous engagement with the hookshaped extremity of one of said pair of contacts,

and when in abnormal position said resilient contact is unbiased and free for subsequent, en-

gagement with either of said pair of contacts dependentgupon the predetermined position. of

said first mentioned switch bar mechanism. 1

moimted within said fixed frame, .a plurality of axially, movable switch bars vertically mounted for moving both sets of switchbars mounted in said releasing :said bias; and moving said resilient I contact into a position adjacent the shank por- 110 tion of saidicontactsi 8Q switch mechanism for a pipe-organ comprising a combination, a fixed rectangular frame, a second rectangular frame pivotedly for axially movement in said pivotedly mounted frame, a second set of axially movableswiteh bars mounted for transverse movement with; respect to the first mentioned'switchbar in the said pivotedly mounted frame, operating means tively movable with respect to a third resilient contactto engage the same locking means carried by said off and on contacts to hold said third contact in engagement with eitherone of said contacts irrespective'of said relative movement, and means to release said third contact from said locking means.

10.,In a combination switch action for pipeorgans, apair of ofl and on contacts each comprising a straight shank and a hooked end rigidly positioned with respect to each other,

and jointly movable with respect to a third resilient contact member, means normally'biasing said resilient contact into the hooked end of ofi and on contacts and means for HA N R- H. "GORDON, 

